Sympathy with Gratitude and Resentment

When there is no approval of the Benefactor’s conduct, there is little sympathy with the Beneficiary’s gratitude. When there is no disapproval of the Erring Person’s motives, there is no sympathy with the Sufferer’s resentment

¹⁵ A benefactor’s action merits little reward if his good motives were misplaced, no matter how beneficial it was.

The lack of a proper motive prevents us from having sympathy with his beneficiary’s gratitude.

In this case, little gratitude is due.

Likewise, an offender’s bad action deserves no punishment if his motive was proper. This prevents us from having sympathy with the sufferer’s resentment. All sorts of resentment seems unjust in this case.

¹⁶ If Rich Person A gives an estate to Person B just because they have the same name and surname, we feel that Person B is not obliged to give back a similar estate.

Instead, we condemn Person A for his folly. This prevents us from entering into Person B’s gratitude.

We feel that such a benefactor could not be revered.

James I of Great Britain was wasteful but well-natured.

• Despite his social disposition, he lived and died without a friend.
• English nobility allied themselves instead with his more frugal son, despite his coldness.

¹⁷ Wherever we approve of an injury done to a person, no matter how great, we can have no sympathy with his resentment. If Person A and B quarrel and we side with Person A, we cannot possibly enter into the resentment of Person B. Our sympathy with Person A hardens us against all fellow-feeling with Person B. We regard the former as in the right and the other as in the wrong.

We might have some compassion for the misery of an inhuman murderer about to be executed. However, we can have no fellow-feeling with his resentment against his prosecutor or judge.

Their natural, just indignation against so vile a criminal is the most fatal to him. But it is impossible that we should be displeased with this indignation.